Huffman, Kratschmer et al. Nature, vol. 347, No. 6291, pg. 354-358, 27 Sep. 1990, disclosed a process for synthesizing C.sub.60 and C.sub.70 which consists of vaporizing small graphite rods via resistance heating or arcing in a non-oxidizing atmosphere of helium at a preferred pressure of 100 torr. The process is excellent for producing fullerenes. The soot yield from a graphite rod is generally up to about 60% and the soot contains up to about 10% fullerenes. Attempts to scale up this process via using larger graphite rods, for example greater than 1/4 to 1/2 inch diameter, result in lower yields of soot and fullerenes. High power vaporization of the graphite rods reduces yields. The most convenient way to vaporize the graphite rods is a controlled arc between the rods. Automation of graphite rod feeding with a controlled arc to produce large quantities of fullerenes is difficult due to alignment of the small rods for arcing, and automation of supplying a new graphite rods after the rods have been burned in the 100-200 torr helium environment is also difficult. Graphite rods are also an expensive source of carbon.